Dr. Jen McClanaghan

Areas of Expertise

Creative writing (poetry, nonfiction and fiction); genre innovation (e.g. slam poetry, Instagram poetry, science fiction); storytelling and social justice; the intersection of language and material practices, including quilting and embroidery; literature and cultural histories of labor, race and capitalism; and public-facing, experiential learning projects that connect students with craft, community and historical narrative.

Education

• B.A. in creative writing, Antioch College (1995)
• MFA in creative writing, concentration in poetry, Columbia University (2004)
• Ph.D. in English, concentration in poetry, Florida State University (2009)

View My CV

What's My Why?

Imagination is how we map what’s missing, how we move toward justice, beauty and belonging. As Albert Einstein wrote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” In my classes, we treat imagination not as escape but as engagement - a way of entering history, of crafting language into poems, essays, quilts, speculative futures. At Salve, students don’t just write; they make meaning. We study the past and dream forward, guided by the belief that storytelling is both an ancient inheritance and a radical act of hope.

Selected Publications

“Born Again,” The New Yorker

“My Lie,” The New Yorker

“My Lie,” Best American Poetry 2013

“Another Night,” Narrative Magazine

“Electricity,” The Progressive